D&D 5E Why I'm Buying the Starter Set

[Doc_Klueless]

I'm buying it because I'm looking forward to breaking my daughter into D&D. We tried 4e, but she just didn't like it (and I didn't particularly like running it). It's possible that the reason she didn't like it is because we'd primarily been playing Savage Worlds at that point and there were just too many moving bits in 4e. Too much to keep track of with Dailies and such along with multiple conditions.

A simpler D&D that reflects more of my childhood is a good reason for me to buy it also.

But what it ACTUALLY boils down to is... I make good money. I have it to spend. I want the new D&D stuff as soon as possible. I hate to wait. I like to type in short sentences. Uh...

Plus I'm just excited to give D&D another run.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

The adventure might be a good reason, but otherwise things work almost exactly as they did in the last playtest packet

Unfortunately, I missed the last playtest packet. I was a little bummed out on not knowing WHEN D&D was going to be released, so I skipped it like a spoiled child having a tantrum.

 

[GMMichael]

But what it ACTUALLY boils down to is... I make good money. I have it to spend. I want the new D&D stuff as soon as possible. I hate to wait. I like to type in short sentences. Uh...

This is also to what WotC wants it to boil down.

I'll be buying the 5e Starter Set when:

- I've played a game of 5e that was slightly less than frustrating
- it appears on the shelves of my local used-goods store
- I can't be there to DM for my nephew across the U.S., and it's time for him to start roleplaying.

Does anyone remember the good ol' days of Forry?

 

[am181d]

I don't buy crippleware. That's a slimy move on the part of WotC.

It's a 5 level adventure for 1 DM and up to 5 players that will take 30+ hours to play out and costs $20. (Or a little less on Amazon.) Even at the most conservative, that's about 11 cents an hour per player.

On top of that, they're making additional content available online.

That's hardly "slimy".

 

[TheWriterFantastic™]

It's a 5 level adventure for 1 DM and up to 5 players that will take 30+ hours to play out and costs $20. (Or a little less on Amazon.) Even at the most conservative, that's about 11 cents an hour per player.

On top of that, they're making additional content available online.

That's hardly "slimy".

It's already down to roughly $13 on Amazon -- I'd say not "slimy" at all...

 

[Nikosandros]

Indeed. $20 (retail price) for an adventure, plus rules and pregens, is very far from crippleware in my mind. If you add the fact that you'll get character generation rules for free online, I really can't see this as a "slimy" move...

 

[GX.Sigma]

Yeah, I think a lot of the "crippleware" complaints disappear when you understand what the product actually is and isn't. It is a self-contained D&D experience. It isn't a full D&D basic game.

If what you wanted was a full D&D basic game, then the good news is it'll be free online. I can absolutely empathize with those who want the basic game to be available as a physical product. I hope that happens someday. But that's not what this is.

 

[Uller]

Unfortunately, I missed the last playtest packet. I was a little bummed out on not knowing WHEN D&D was going to be released, so I skipped it like a spoiled child having a tantrum.

I think Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle on DnDClassics has all the relevant rules from the latest playtest packet. I've been running a group through it. Yesterday (SPOILERS!!!) one of them got separated from the group, triggered an attack by a medusa and a golem on the rest of party and then got turned to stone by the medusa as it fled...then a little while later...they spotted a Lurker on the ceiling of a passage to their right so they looked up at the ceiling of the passage to the left and didn't see anything that way so left they went...and got attacked by a trapper...oh god I was laughing...

 

[Kinak]

Yeah, I think a lot of the "crippleware" complaints disappear when you understand what the product actually is and isn't. It is a self-contained D&D experience. It isn't a full D&D basic game.

I also hope that terminology goes away soon, but it seems like it's mostly a complaint by people who were expecting a full D&D basic game.

So I don't think it's a question of understanding. If people didn't understand they aren't getting a basic boxed set, they wouldn't be complaining. The complaints will taper off as people, myself very much included here, accept they aren't getting what they want.

If what you wanted was a full D&D basic game, then the good news is it'll be free online. I can absolutely empathize with those who want the basic game to be available as a physical product. I hope that happens someday. But that's not what this is.

Do we actually know the full D&D basic game will be free online? All I've heard so far is the character creation stuff.

A full basic game PDF would be nice for me, because I'd like to read it, but wouldn't do anything for my group.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Also, since the DMG won't be out until Nov...

Holy cow, that's...I don't even...I feel so sorry for everyone who's excited about 5e! I know that the PHB is all that one supposedly needs to 'run a full campaign,' but this release schedule is just asinine.

Has WotC claimed some sort of pretense for releasing the core books months apart, or is it just a bald attempt to make as much money from the starter set as possible before releasing the full game?